Johan Bruyneel can pucker up and kiss my giant, white… foot.
Seriously? You’re going to name Contador as the team captain, then you aren’t going to give orders to haul the first group (containing Lance) in after the spilt? Of course not… because then Lance isn’t going to cuddle with you tonight. Stop playing mind games with your team and be a real manager. You make me want to punch my television.
And Lance, shame on you for encouraging the pushing of the pace against your captain. If your motive to enter the Tour is to help Livestrong, then why are you so concerned about gaining time at the expense of your team captain?
I disagree. I am not a Lance is god type guy… but a split like this had to be taken advantage of. The 40 seconds that they split put into the field not only put Alberto back 40 seconds, but also Evans, Sastre, et al… They had three guys in the split as well. In any case, all of this will be trivialized tomorrow (TTT) and in the mountains. *Always* take time when you can get it. I can’t imagine that anyone would understand Astana stacking 6 on the front of the field to pull back 3 of their own?
OK, maybe they don’t have to stack guys in the front of the chase group, but why burn matches the day before the TTT in the break that’s going against your supposed GC guy? Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre were all up in the drive to the finish line while Lance sat in.
There was no way Astana would have been able to pull back those guys. They made the correct call. As for Lance asking the riders to push the pace… well… good for him.
Go Lance Pharmstrong!